Anne Hastings – Principal

Now that Ma Nishma is online we are able to see the statistics of how many people read our articles each week. This year I’ve noticed that the Primary page has usually just a few more ‘hits’ than the Principal’s page, with each around the mid 300s, and I’ve been wondering what might increase our hits and maybe even reverse the order! Well, last week it happened. With over 500 hits to the Principal’s page I momentarily achieved this goal but I’m not sure that it can be sustained without your help. I can’t talk about retirement every week (nor would I want to), but I’d love you to encourage other parents to read our Ma Nishma, which is an amazing record of the breadth, vibrancy and dynamism of our school. Keeping up-to-date with what is about to happen, and seeing and reading about what has happened in the recent past, also helps keeping our community connected.

A tip

If you really liked the old version of Ma Nishma where the newsletter was a pdf document, you can achieve the same outcome with the online version, by beginning the process of printing it (without actually pressing the final print button).

Staff news

At the end of Term 1 we say a temporary farewell to Martin Rembson, Business Studies and HSIE teacher and Head of Rabin. Martin is going on leave for the next three terms to spend time with his family in Sweden and Europe. We wish Martin all the very best for his leave and look forward to his rejoining the Emanuel family at the beginning of next year.

We are pleased that Kate Geoghegan will be returning from maternity leave next term to teach Martin’s classes. Adam Ezekiel will be our Acting Head of Rabin during this time.

High School Library

As you know we are planning to demolish this building to construct a new, three-storey multi-function building with classrooms, a commercial kitchen, MakerSpace and Jewish History Centre. This will then allow us to remove the X Block demountable building and provide more playground space for our students.

In preparation for this the High School Library will move to the top level of the Brender Moss Building over the break. We will close its doors on Wednesday afternoon of this coming week at 5 pm so we can begin the move. Any book borrowing will need to happen before then (and is encouraged!). We look forward to returning at the beginning of next term to see our Library in its new, temporary space while we are in construction phase. We plan to begin demolition and construction later in Term 2. 

 Jazz on the Hill

We are very grateful to everyone who helped make last Sunday’s Jazz on the Hill such an amazing event.

Our Year 11 Hospitality students catered for the event, under the supervision of their teacher Lara Ephron, our High School volunteers helped with the various Year K-6 supervised activities and teachers supervised these activities, David Gwilliam and Ben Marshall and all our brilliant student and staff musicians entertained with fantastic music, and our Maintenance staff helped with the stage and other equipment needed on the day. A special thanks goes to Sonia Newell who did the overall organisation for the event, along with her team of assistants, Isabelle Anne, Deborah Beder and other staff members.

In particular, we thank our performers, Genevieve, David and Michelle Goldman, the Intermediate Jazz Ensemble A, Advanced Jazz Ensemble, Senior Stage band, our alumni group ’33 Degrees’ and the Staff Jazz Ensemble who provided such entertaining performances. Those who came along for the afternoon really enjoyed the whole event, in perfect weather in our beautiful setting on the hill.

Student success

Mazal tov to:

• Jared Elbourne (Year 10) and Gabriella Goodridge (Year 9) who won gold in the AICES Swimming Carnival this week (Jared for the 50m breastroke and Gabriella for the 50m freestyle).
• Danielle Rutstein, who competed at the Australian Athletics Championships (Nationals) in Homebush this week. Danielle competed in High Jump and finished in 7^thplace out of 14 with a jump of 1.55m.

 Coming up

• Year 10 Three-way learning conversations (previously Parent/Student/Teacher meetings) 3 April, 4:00 – 8:00 pm
• Night of Science and Wonder, the Year 10 Science Showcase, Thursday 6 April, 4 – 6 pm
• Last day of Term 1, Friday 7 April
• First day of Term 2 for students, Thursday 27 April – students return in winter uniform
• Breakfast with Emanuel, Wednesday 17 May, 7:30 am the Little Space at Bondi Junction
• Year 7 Study Skills Parents and Students evening, Tuesday 23 May, 6 pm
• Breakfast with Emanuel, Wednesday 24 May, 7:30 am, PwC Barangaroo

Quote of the week

‘Happiness is not something you postpone for the future; it is something you design for the present.’ [Jim Rohn]

Best wishes for a restful and reinvigorating weekend.

Shabbat Shalom